The TSA says Sen. Rand Paul "was not detained at any point" but "triggered an alarm during routine airport screening and refused to complete the screening process in order to resolve the issue."

"Passengers, as in this case, who refuse to comply with security procedures are denied access to the secure gate area," the TSA adds. "He was escorted out of the screening area by local law enforcement."

"The passenger was screened by millimeter wave imaging technology using automated target recognition," the TSA continues. "This technology uses the same generic image for all passengers to further protect passengers privacy. When an alarm occurs a yellow box indicates where an anomaly is. A targeted pat down is used to resolve the alarm."

TSA spokesman Michael McCarthy told The Daily Caller that "when an irregularity is found during the TSA screening process, it must be resolved prior to allowing a passenger to proceed to the secure area of the airport. Passengers who refuse to complete the screening process cannot be granted access to the secure area in order to ensure the safety of others traveling."